AccordingtoLongWei,Shenzhenisacityofinnovation.Itisinclusiveandopen-minded,withinternationalizedvision.byWangLeiTheResearchInstituteofTsinghuaUniversityinShenzhen(RITUS)isanewtypeofresearchinstitution,thefirstinShenzhen,jointlyestablishedbyauniversityandlocalgovernment.Overthelasttwodecades,ithasincubatedmorethan1,500enterprises,including21listedcompanies.
LongWeiisakeymemberofiCoreGroupInc.underRITUSandservesasbothdirectoroftheRITUSIntelligentOilandGasResearchandDevelopmentCenter,andgeneralmanagerofiCoreGroupInc.“Wearebothacompanyandaresearchinstitute,”Longexplains.“OnlyinShenzhenwillyoufindsuchfusions.”
LongWeigraduatedwithabachelor’sdegreeinenvironmentalengineeringfromTsinghuaUniversityin1996.HethenheadedtoJohnsHopkinsUniversityintheUnitedStateswherehereceivedaPh.D.inenergyresources.Aftergraduation,hewashiredbyBP,oneoftheworld’stopoilandgascompanies.
Overthelastfewyears,hehasconcentratedonresearchinggenedetectionofoilandgasandexploringreservesofoilandgasincludingunconventionalcombustibleicethroughrockscanningandanaloguesimulation.
ThistechnologyhasbeenappliedbytheenvironmentalprotectionindustrytodetectthecontentofPM10/PM2.5pollutantsinthesoilandatmosphereandtheirthree-dimensionalspatialdistribution,evaluatetheimpactoftheenvironmentonhealthandestablishadigitalsoilgenepool,whichcanguideprojectdesignofaprecisesoilremediationscheme.
Intechnicalterms,theadvantageofthistechnologyistofacedownworld-classchallengesinaccuratelysimulatingtheroleofsolid/liquidinterfacesinarealandcomplexmicro-channelnetworkandreducethesimulationcalculationerrorfrommorethan100percenttolessthan15percenttomeettheindustrialpracticalapplicationstandards.
Theself-developedgeotechnicalgeneticdigitizationtestingandbigdataintelligentdecision-makingsystemcanhelplowercostsandincreaseefficiencyofprojectoperationsandhasbeenwidelyappliedcommercially.
Usingthistechniquetoanalyzerockandsoilhasbecomemoreeconomical.Inthepast,tensofmillionsofyuanwererequiredtolifttonsofbigrocksfromtheseabedtoexploreforoil.Today,however,oilcanbedetectedwithseveralkilogramsofcrushedstonesfromdrilling.
Thisinnovationalsomakesitpossibletoquicklyestablishalargedatabaseofgeotechnicalgenes,reducetechnicaldecision-makingcyclesfromseveralmonthstoseveraldaysandimplementdigitalandintelligenttestingandanalysisprocessestohelpreduceengineeringcostsandimproveefficiencywhilepreventingaccidents.
Theglobaloilandgasindustryhasamarketof100billionyuanannually.Thewideapplicationofsuchatechnologyinoilandgasexplorationandproductioncouldbringhugeeconomicbenefits,significantlyimprovedrillingefficiencyandpreventanomalies.
ThesmartprecisiondrillingdemonstrationprojectjointlyconductedbyiCoreGroupInc.andChinaNationalOffshoreOilCorporation(CNOOC)ontheSouthChinaSeacanreduceinvestmentcostsbyupto3billionyuanannually.Moreover,thistechnologycanprovideearlywarningbeforepotentialoperationalmalfunctionsandavoidmajordisasters.
Foreseeingtheprospectsofthistechnology,RITUSsoughtouttheresearchteamofthetechnologyandadvisedthemtoapplyforthe“PhoenixProgram”launchedbytheShenzhenmunicipalgovernmentin2010tobringmorehigh-techtalenttothecity.
In2015,theteammemberswereapprovedbytheprogram,andattheendof2016,fivePh.D.researcherswithstudyexperienceabroad,includingLongWeiandJiuCheng,returnedtoChinaandsettledinShenzhentocontributetothedevelopmentofChina’senergy,marineandenvironmentalprotectionindustries.
ThefirstvisittoShenzhengavetheteamagoodimpression.Duringpresentations,judgesexpressedconcernsaboutwhethertheyhadsolerightstotheintellectualproperty.TheywerealsoaskedhowtheywouldprotecttheirintellectualpropertygoingforwardiftheyreturnedtoChinatostartabusiness.Fortheteam,themoretheemphasisplacedonintellectualpropertyprotection,thestrongerthemotivationtoinnovate.
Shenzhen’stalentfundingprogramhasprovenhighlyattractiveanditsfundsaregenerous.Forexample,the“PhoenixProgram”providesaspecialsubsidyofupto80millionyuanforaselectedworld-classteam,andcomprehensivelysupportshigh-leveloverseasresearcherswhodecidetolaunchastartuporaresearchprojectinShenzhenbyprovidingpreferentialpolicies.
Peoplebenefitingfromtheprogramcanenjoyincentivesubsidiesof800,000to1.5millionyuaninadditiontoothersupportingpoliciesforsettlement,children’seducation,employmentofspousesandmedicalinsurance.
Ofcourse,theentrepreneurialteammustbeabletobringbenefitstothecityandincreaseitsGDP.Theycan’tsolelyfocusonresearchanddevelopment,butmustalsocontributetoindustrialization.
ThearrivalofLongWei’steamfilledRITUS’svoidsinthefieldsofenergysecurityandoceanresearch.
“ThetoptenoftheGlobal500companiesarealmostalloilcompanies,”Longnoted.“Internationaloilcompaniesinvestupto10billionU.S.dollarsinR&Deveryyear.”
ManyofChina’straditionalterrestrialoilexplorationcompaniessuchasDaqingOilfieldinHeilongjiangProvinceandTarimOilfieldintheXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion,aswellasAustralia’sRocOilCo.,Ltd.andmanyU.S.universitiesandminingenterprises,haveshowngreatinterestintheteam’sprojectsandtechnologiesandhavebegunextensivecooperation.
“SeventypercentofChina’scrudeoilisimported,”Longsaid.“Tobecomelessdependent,wemustdevelopourownoilfields.Energyisveryimportant.Wealsowanttomakeadifferenceinhelpingourcountrygainagreatervoiceintheenergysector.”
Likemanyreturnedgraduateswhohavestudiedabroad,theteamcamebackwithastrongsenseofmission.
Consideringthetechnologicalmonopolywieldedbydevelopedcountries,theteammembersareveryopen-mindedandconfident.“Chinaisnowpayinggreaterattentiontoprotectingintellectualpropertyrights,”Longsaid.“Thisfurtherboostspeople’swillingnesstoinnovate.TheUnitedStateshasdoneagoodjobinthisarea,ashasShenzhen.”
LongWeilivedintheUnitedStatesfornearly20years.WhenhearrivedinShenzhen,itdidn’tfeelmuchdifferentfromtheUnitedStates.Tohim,Shenzhenisaninnovative,inclusive,open-mindedandinternationalizedcity.
“ThebuildingoftheShenzhenmunicipalgovernmentiscalledtheCivicCenter,whichhasimpressedmedeeply.Itisaservice-orientedgovernment.ManyprivateenterprisesinChinalikeBYD,TencentandHuaweiareallsupportedbytheShenzhengovernment.”
ShiLei,headoftheGeneralOfficeofRITUS,remarked:“WhydoesShenzhenattractsomanypeople?Becauseitisabeaconofhope.Thesetalentedpeopleareattractednotbymoneybutbythecareerprospectsthecityaffords.ThiscityoffersmoreopportunitiesthantheUnitedStates.Itprovidesgreaterjobsatisfaction.Shenzhenwouldhardlyhavebecomewhatitistodaywithouttheintroductionofsuchalargepooloftalent.Itowesitsgreatindustrialtransformationtothegreatprogressitmadeinscienceandtechnology.Weareconfident.”